Endless Summer Escape Routes: What to Pack for FP’s Palm Springs Pop-Up Party

From vitamin drips to sunset sonic detox, a festival-friendly guide to the iconic desert playground…    

Dare I say it? I must. At this point in the game, a festival alone isn’t always enough to hold my attention for days at a time. Yes, it may be the motivation for a cross-country plane ticket, and of course I’m excited about the handful of live performances that remind me why new music is, in my experience, the inspiration for all things cool — but if you’ve truly fine-tuned your personal taste, there’s just a lottttt of downtime. Once spent avoiding a sunburn and drinking $10 bottles of water, thankfully these artistic gaps have been filled as the scene has evolved — now catering to the multifaceted interests of showgoers.

Take Palm Springs, for example — the famous desert escape is primed to experience its busiest festival weekends this month, and a forward-thinking focus on cultural attractions is turning the old-school Hollywood hangout into a destination worth its weight in vacation days. Even Free People can’t deny the appeal of a few nights spent basking in the Playground of The Stars, and made booking an adult spring break that much easier by syncing up with the Ace Hotel for a “welcome to the neighborhood” pop up party that offers a home base for wellness enthusiasts.

Below, where to go and what to pack for a more fulfilling festival escape of the future:

Pool House Chic

FP’s Endless Summer at The Ace pop-up will transform the hotel’s pool house into a private sanctuary that starts each morning with mindful meditation and ends each night with sunset sonic detox (with liver-boosting mocktails) and dreamy stargazing. In between, try out IV vitamin drips, a Vital Proteins collagen bar, mini makeovers (who can resist?!), endless dance parties, and obviously a take a peek at (or take home) the newest collection.

April 13-15 and April 20-22. 10am – 6pm.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK:  Acapulco Bralette and Cheeky Bottom

Glam Strolling:

There’s a reason why Hollywood’s elite traveled to this desert oasis in search of chiller days and happier times. Meander at your leisure down the Palm Springs Walk of Stars and skip over the pavement’s golden palms that honor the icons who fell in love with the escape like Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK:  Lucy Resin Hoop Earrings and Captain Blankenship Golden Waves Sea Salt Spray

Cool Eats: 

Make the most of hunger pangs between electro sets by supporting local favorites like Cheeky’s, a restaurant in the Uptown Design District where fellow festival babes lounge and sip agua frescas under the shade of umbrellas. For a dose of history in the Spanish-Deco El Paseo building, Workshop Kitchen + Bar updated the former movie theater a rustic farm-to-table hot spot that offers vegetarian-friendly options.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Elissa Set

Sun and Flora: 

Of course a road trip to Joshua Tree National Park is on the menu when you’re only an hour away from the dreamy oasis, but consider making a double trouble stop at Moorten Botanical Garden & Cactarium, where the one-acre destination showcases charming cacti and local desert plants.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Island Hopper Straw Visor

Iconic Views: 

From 1966 to 1967 Elvis and Priscilla Presley lived at The Alexander Estate (also called the House of Tomorrow) which has been more recently coined The Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway. Now carefully restored in all of its art deco splendor, check out its unreal bathtubs and panoramic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains. If you’d rather take a better look at the surrounding Coachella Valley, hop on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Babetown Square Sunglasses

Wellness Goals:

If you thrive on group fitness for a great good, try Power Yoga’s latest venture, Yoga in The Park, where the donation-based class celebrates nature outdoors with sweet views of The San Jacinto Mountains. If hiking and serious upward inclines are more your speed, The Tahquitz Canyon will take you up a 350-foot trail that climbs to the beautiful Tahquitz Falls.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Body Vibes Energy and Beauty Patches

Creative Outing:

Get your dose of handmade aesthetic culture at the Palm Springs Art Museum, smack in the middle of Palm Desert. Thanks to the generosity of thoughtful superbabe Helene V. Galen, admission is completely free to the public, always.

DON’T FORGET TO PACK: Lilah B Palette Perfection Eye Quad

GIF and illustrations by Jessie Kanelos Weiner.